Energy: Ukrainian regulatory standards closer to those of EU Countries
Kiev, April 03, 2009
"As anticipated by the European Commission, the development of a collaboration among Energy Regulators represents an important contribution for the promotion of interconnections and exchanges among the various markets within continental Europe". Thus stated the President of the Regulatory Authority for Electricity and Gas, Mr Alessandro Ortis, at the end of the Workshop that took place in Kiev as conclusion of the works for the twinning with the Ukrainian Regulator (National Electricity Regulatory Commission) for the electricity sector. The Workshop was also attended by: V. Kalchenko, President of NERC; Minister T. Motrenko, Head of the Ukrainian Main Department of Civil Service; J.M. Pinto Teixeira, Ambassador of the European Commission in Ukraine; Giovanni Donnici, Ambassador of Italy in Kiev.
Italian versionThe training-twinning project "Regulatory and Legal Capacity Strengthening of Energy Regulation in NERC" was positively completed within 22 months as planned, fully financed by the European Commission (with an allocation of approximately 1 million Euro), and assigned (following an international selection tender) to the Italian Authority, in a consortium with the Austrian and Czech Regulators. The project, following the agreements between Ukraine, the European Commission, and the Italian Government, was aimed at promoting regulatory harmonisation between the Ukrainian and European electricity systems, to contribute to the development of infrastructures, the improvement of the service quality and the opening of the internal market. The project will also make easier the promotion of investments and the development of European businesses, particularly Italian ones, in Ukraine.
Next May, at the end of the electricity regulation twinning project, a second twinning project for the regulation of the gas sector will begin, between NERC and the Italian Regulatory Authority (this time heading a consortium together with the Rumanian, Greek and Hungarian Regulators), . This second project, promoted by the European Commission, will be completed over a 24-month period, fully financed - 1.2 million euro - and be considered part of the European Commission's ENP Programme (European Neighbourhood Policy).
The training-twinning projects are supported by the European Union because of their purpose to provide not only advantages for the direct beneficiaries of the twinning process itself, but also harmonisation and cooperation within the whole continental electricity and gas market, for the benefit of both consumers and businesses.